Kenyan police chief orders bandits, cattle rustlers to surrender illegal arms

The Kenya police on Sunday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to all bandits and cattle rustlers in the country’s insecurity-hit northwestern region to surrender all illegal arms in their possession or face the full force of the law.
National Police Service Inspector General Joseph Boinett told journalists in Nairobi that the government is determined to clean the region from perennial acts of cattle rustling and banditry.
“There will be no mercy for rustlers, bandits and other elements who are bent on making the area insecure, thereby negatively affecting livelihoods of the people,” Boinett said.
Boinnet also ordered grazers who have illegally invaded private farmlands in areas in Baringo County to return to their respective areas of abode.
“These groups and any other implicated in similar crimes have 48 hours to take heed this call, after which they will only have themselves to blame for the consequences of their defiance,” he said.
The police chief said rustlers hiding in Suguta Valley have to surrender stolen animals that they have there.
“I don’t want those criminals to know what we will do or when we will act but they better be warned and if they don’t heed my call they will not blame me on what will befall them,” he said
He added that security agencies will deploy all available assets to deal with all forms of criminality. Boinett made the remarks after a tour of the northwestern region that has been hit with incidents of cattle rustling.
The region has witnessed banditry due to its remoteness. He said rustlers hiding in Suguta Valley have to surrender stolen animals that they have there.
“Surrender back the stolen property and surrender yourselves to the authorities before the firm hand of the law comes for you,” he said.
The bandits were suspected to have hidden the animals in the famous Suguta Valley known as the valley of death where more than 40 police officers were killed in 2012 during an operation.
Sources said the police chief is planning to carry out a major operation in the areas to rid of the incidents.
The landscape of region consists of hills and valleys making it ideal for cattle rustlers to hide the stolen livestock.
Most grazers have migrated to private farms for pasture due to drought in most of the Baringo, Samburu, Turkana Counties and neighboring areas.
This has created conflict amongst the communities in the area and prompted attacks and stealing of animals.

Source